A support bearing used for an intermediate shaft through which torque is applied to a constant-velocity joint coupled to a propeller shaft or a drive shaft of a motor vehicle is mounted under the vehicle floor and used under such harsh conditions that small stones and muddy water fly. Thus, old support bearings of this type were provided with externally mounted seals to prevent entry of foreign matter.
However, externally mounted seals are less used in today's support bearings of this type for reduced weight, fuel consumption and cost, and internally mounted seals are used instead to prevent entry of foreign matter such as muddy water. Such internally mounted seals may comprise two pairs of contact seals, each pair being arranged axially parallel to each other at one end of the bearing space, thereby sealing the bearing space, as disclosed in the below-identified Patent documents 1 and 2. Other internally mounted seals comprise sealing devices each including a sealing member having a radial lip and an axial lip which are in sliding contact with a cylindrical portion and an annular portion of a slinger, respectively, thereby sealing the bearing space such that no foreign matter can enter the bearing space, as disclosed in the below-identified Patent document 3.    Patent document 1: JP Utility Model Publication 2-93571U    Patent document 2: JP Patent Publication 2011-117608A    Patent document 3: JP Patent Publication 2006-161860A
The sealed rolling bearing disclosed in either of Patent documents 1 and 2 is large in width and difficult to assemble, because this bearing includes a total of four contact seals, with two of them on each side of the bearing, and these four contact seals have to be mounted in position by press fitting. It is therefore desired to provide a bearing which is smaller in size and weight and is easier to assemble.
On the other hand, the sealed rolling bearing including the sealing devices disclosed in Patent document 3 has a problem in that due to an axial play of the bearing that allow axial relative movement of the bearing parts, as well as misalignment during assembling, it is impossible to mount the axial lips with required interference, which makes it difficult to ensure sealability of the sealing devices.